AN: hello beautiful readers. I have probably the hardest midterm I'm ever going to have to take on monday but I can't find the motivation to study for it, so that's great! Anyway, I figured I'd write a new chapter to at least do something productive. I'm going to try my hardest to make this chapter longer than the last two, but dont slay me if it's not! Enjoy!
The boat we are taking this time is much bigger than the houseboat that Cassius had taken me back with when he'd rescued me from the Tribe. In fact, it looks more like a small yacht than a boat. I watch as guards load supplies, trying to figure out just where we're going to end up after this two week boat-ride.
I feel a tug on my dress and look down to see Alice. "You need to change," she tells me.
"I wish I could," I say, staring down at my dirtied and now blood-stained dress.
"No," Alice says, shaking her head to let me know that I'm clearly not understanding what she's saying. "I've been ordered to make you change clothes."
Confused but willing to see what Peter would want to see me changed into, I follow Alice back to the House, where she leads me to my old room. Sitting on the bed is a pile of dark clothes that I recognize immediately.
"You want me to change into a military uniform?"
Alice shrugs. "Peter wants the enchantress to know that you and Cassius mean business when it comes to fighting on the same side."
I laugh but don't press it any further.
"You're allowed to shower, too."
I want to melt as soon as the words leave her mouth. "Thank you," I say, trying my hardest not to run in a full sprint to the bathroom.
After I've scrubbed every inch of dirt from my skin and hair, I allow Alice to pull my blonde locks back into a braid as I stare at myself in the mirror before me. I have to admit that I look good in a uniform. Dangerous. I smile slightly.
"It suits you," Alice says, following my thoughts.
"The youngest woman in Peter's militia, I'm sure."
Alice considers. "I think there are a few recruits that are younger than you."
"Not for long," I say. When she looks confused I say, "You know, immortal."
"You're not immortal," she says.
"I don't age, I mean," I say, correcting myself.
"You age, too."
Now I'm the one to look confused.
"When you were banished from the House to become a Lost Boy, you lost the ability to age. But then you came back. So, technically, you're still a Bride."
"But I'm not a Bride," I say, "Cassius chose Daphne as his Wife."
"Yes, well, try telling that to the non-sentient magical rules surrounding the House that were built centuries before any of this happened."
"So Julius and I are the only two Lost Boys that don't stop aging," I say.
Alice nods. "Correct. But I'm sure you could get banished again and you would stop. But you seem to keep coming back."
I stare at my hands now, feeling odd. I age still, as though I were a member of the Royals, but I am not a member of the Royals. I feel like I belong to no one group in particular. I keep finding myself at the House whenever I am thrown into the woods, and I keep finding myself escaping to the woods whenever I am in the House. I wonder what that makes me to be.
"Let's get to the ship," Alice says, gently, "I'm sure they're ready to leave."
There are 6 crewmen coming along with us, including the driver. I don't recognize any of them, but Alice is right, a few of them look very young. As soon as the ship heads off, I realize quickly that I know absolutely nothing nautical and that I will be of no help the entire journey. Two guards, carrying a large crate, shove past me as they make their way to the bottom of the ship, knocking me into the wall. "Move it or lose it, princess," one of them mutters and the other laughs.
Cassius was right, this is going to be a rough journey.
I find quickly that my favorite place aboard is the galley. There is a comfortable couch, a table with chairs, a bookshelf, and the whole room is devoid of walls so that I can see the ocean before me. It looks peaceful as the sun sets over it. I can hear nothing but waves crashing. I am tired, but I'm not sure I want to try and go to sleep. I'd asked one crewman in passing, and he'd told me that since I'm nothing special anymore I'm stuck in the rack room with the rest of the soldiers with a devilish smile on his face. Perhaps I could sleep on the couch for the remainder of the journey.
I hear footsteps and look up to see Cassius enter the room. He looks startled to see me here.
When he turns to leave I say, "You can't ignore me forever."
"I can try," he replies, to my surprise. After a moment of silence he sighs and comes to join me on the couch where I am sitting. "I almost didn't recognize you wearing that," he says with a small smile.
He is wearing one as well, but it has more badges, letting onlookers know that he is in charge. I am reminded of the night that Daphne and I were kidnapped by the crazed man in the woods, when Cassius and his father wore military uniforms when they searched the woods for us.
"Not that it looks bad," he says when I am still silent.
"I have a few questions," I say, ignoring his comment.
He sighs and makes himself more comfortable. "I guess I'll try to answer them the best I can."
"Where are we going?"
"There is an island with a particular volcano."
"So the Enchantress your dad brought up is Helena, the witch that lives at the base of a volcano." I distantly recall Julius telling me about her, but I cannot remember the context around it.
He looks surprised that I know so much without him telling me, but masks it better than I would have thought he could. "Yes, that's her."
"So who's James?"
"This is where it gets tricky," he says. "Just like my brother and I, my father had one as well."
My thoughts instantly drum up Victor and his vicious smile. "You think we're the bag guys, my woman in white, and you're mistaken. We're all on the same side. Remember that."
"And, much like my brother and I-"
"So James is your dad's brother? Victor?" I ask.
This time he does look shocked. "How did you know his Pirate name?"
"We've met," I say.
When he sees I'm unwilling to speak further on it, he shrugs and says, "Yes, James is Victor. After he was thrown out to become a Lost Boy, he joined with the Pirates and eventually became their leader. We never knew how he was getting the one-up on us constantly until recently, when my father joined a legion of Victor's pirates in disguise as the leader himself. They led him to the Enchantresses island soon enough."
"So why do we have to go instead of Peter?"
"Rumor has it she has a sweet spot for the youth of Neverland. He's much too old for her liking."
"And that's it? She'll agree to see us because we're young? And then what?"
"Well, and then we have to convince her that ours is the side that she wants to be on. Otherwise, she'll end up leading Neverland into the greatest war it's ever seen. I don't think anyone but Victor wants that."
"How will we convince her?"
Cassius shrugs again. "By whatever means necessary."
I nod, mulling this all over.
"If you don't have any other questions," Cassius says, making to stand from the couch, "I think I'm headed to bed."
"You know I wont tell anyone," I blurt.
He looks at me, half up from where he was sitting on the couch. "What?"
"About the night you came back from that ball with Daphne. I won't tell anyone about what happened between us."
He stares at me in silence.
"And if that's why you're being such a jerk to me, you can cut it out. I don't want to die, so I wont tell."
He seems to just now realize that he's in an uncomfortable hunched position and sits back down on the couch. We sit in silence for what seems to be hours, but I know is only minutes. Then, finally, he says, "Daphne is my wife, you know."
I furrow my brow. "Obviously," I say.
He is silent for a few more moments. I am about to tell him that he probably does need sleep, since he cant seem to think straight, but then he says, "So why am I still so in love with you?"
Every thought leaves my head. There is no sound between us but the crashing of waves. I want to same something, in fact, I need to say something, but I cant think of anything sensical to speak out loud.
"Why do I still want it to be you?" He asks, uncaring that I have been rendered mute. "Why do I still hold out for the hope that something, anything good will come out of you and I?"
I shake my head, almost reflexively. I don't think that Cassius has told me that he loves me since the day that he and I were almost killed by Pirates- the same day that he cast me out to become a Lost Boy. I suck in a breath, whether to say something or steady myself, I'm not sure.
"I'm tired of treating you like a thorn in my side, Soph, because you're not. When you went missing- when I'd realized that you'd been taken..." He looks at me now, his amber eyes full of emotion. "I nearly lost my mind. When Maxim had you on top of him at the Tavern, I wanted to rip the world apart, just to make sure that you were safe."
"Cassius-" I begin to say, but he holds up a hand to stop me.
"But I do have a wife. And I love her. And we're going to start a family together soon. And you shouldn't be a part of any of it anymore. After this, I think it's best you go back to your home, in Kansas."
Reflexively, I reach up to touch the necklace that once hung there. The way back to my old world and out of this one. It had been taken from me by I can only assume Victor when he sold me to the highest bidder.
"I'll give you a new stone, of course, and I'll stand guard this time in case anyone decides to thwart you from leaving this time. If you'll let me."
Mutely, I nod. This is all I've wanted, right? To go home? Be with my family once more? I can't think clearly.
Cassius stands, then. "Good. Consider this our last little adventure together, then. Goodnight, Soph." With that, he exits the room, leaving me alone in a silence that not even the ocean waves can break.
AN: Okay, I tried to make this one a little longer but my shift at work is almost over so I had to cut it a bit short! Dont hate Cassius! Try to see where he's coming from! But, since you all know that this is only the second installment of a three part series, you know Sophia doesnt leave Neverland just yet. What do you think will happen? Any thoughts? Review and share with me, I'm interested! Also, what do you think the Enchantress is going to be like? I'll try and update as soon as I can! Till next time!